RoR: Forum

No Reagan? No Paterson? The quotes are good, but I think too cerebral for the average citizen.

Post 1

Sunday, May 11, 2008 - 12:05am

Ted,

Reagan quotes would have a greater chance of stirring up the "emotional revulsion so common -- perhaps universal -- to the socialist mindset" which was in my plans to subvert.

As per the missing Paterson quotes, well ... my bad. I'll take my knocks for that one. And if, as you say, these 2-line quotes show up in discussion as "too cerebral" -- then careful, concrete examples should make the quoted point clear.

Take the Howe quote:

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There is always the type of man who says he loves his fellow men, and expects to make a living at it.
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... and then show our mutual friend, Charles Rangel, expecting to simply be handed "a living" for loving us. Or, take the Heinlein quote:

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Goodness, without wisdom, always accomplishes evil.
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... and create a picture in the socialist's mind's-eye about a man in a train station trying to reach for a blurry object. Then introduce an altruist helping the man reach the object. Then show the object being a bomb he's trying to detonate.

Similar examples abound.

Ed

Post 2

Sunday, May 11, 2008 - 12:16am

An omission with which I struggled:

Late-20th Century
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The individual can never escape the moral burden of his existence. He must choose between obedience to authority and responsibility to himself. Moral decisions are often hard and painful to make. The temptation to delegate this burden to others is therefore ever-present. Yet, as all of history teaches us, those who would take from man his moral burdens - be they priests or warlords, politicians or psychiatrists - must also take from him his liberty and hence his very humanity. -- Thomas Szasz
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Ed

Post 3

Sunday, May 11, 2008 - 12:41pm

"Reagan quotes would have a greater chance of stirring up the "emotional revulsion so common -- perhaps universal -- to the socialist mindset" which was in my plans to subvert."

LOL! (Data's evil brother, or his ugly daughter?)

Well, Ed, what about Isabel Paterson? If you don't happen to have her God of the Machine you may not realize that you are didactically stunted.

Post 4

Sunday, May 11, 2008 - 3:36pm

Ted, I updated the blog entry to include a quote from Paterson's "The God of the Machine." See the 1943 entry ...

Thanks, Ted, for the instructive criticism.

Ed

Post 5

Monday, May 12, 2008 - 3:35am

My favorite is from Winston Churchill:

"The inherent vice of capitalism is the uneven division of blessings, while the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal division of misery."

And Rand's quote:

"Every government interference in the economy consists of giving an unearned benefit, extorted by force, to some men at the expense of others."

... runs a close second.

And then there's Bastiat's:

"By virtue of exchange, one man's prosperity is beneficial to all others."

There are a b'zillion others, of course. But given the inherent irrationality of socialism, I question whether those who pray at its alter could be swayed by rational argument. Socialism requires the same dogged denial of objective reality as any religion. How does one make a rational argument to an innately irrational individual?

Of course, there are the young "idealists" who are taken in by the emotional arguments for socialism, but who may not have given it much thought beyond that. For them, there may be hope. But most of the "true believers" out there are terminal, though a few may experience a spontaneous remission.

Post 6

Sunday, May 11, 2008 - 8:51pm

Hi Ed,

I enjoyed reading your quotes particularly the Mencken one which I've always liked. Some other quotes in a similar vein that I like are:

"A government which robs Peter to pay Paul, can always depend on the support of Paul."

� George Bernard Shaw (?)

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch." Benjamin Franklin (?)

Gerald

(Edited by GEWH on 5/12, 6:34pm)

Post 7

Monday, May 12, 2008 - 10:01am

GEWH:

The rest of that quote, which is attributed to James Bovard (and not Franklin) is:

"...Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote."

;o)

Post 8

Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - 5:08am

Thanks guys! Those are great additions.

Summer,

I was a zealot-socialist until age 30 -- hardly just a young idealist -- and I was turned ... from the Dark Side ...

Ed

Post 9

Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - 6:32am

Ed,

I was a zealot-socialist until age 30 -- hardly just a young idealist -- and I was turned ... from the Dark Side..

Then you are the exception. Welcome to the light! ;o)

Post 10

Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - 2:21pm

just dont get blinded by it.....;-)

Post 11

Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - 3:17pm

Is that you, Manfred??

;o)

Post 12

Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - 3:44pm

It ain't Manfred, it's The Boss!

Post 13

Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - 3:51pm

I know, but...

a) Manfred Mann's version is a thousand times better, and...
b) I loathe Springstein

Post 14

Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 8:30am

Summer,
I've been humming that damn song all morning, and I'll confess that it's Manfred Mann's version I'm hearing. But, you really "loathe" Springsteen? Is it because he's from New Jersey? : )

Post 15

Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 9:01am